The COVID-19 crisis has disproportionately affected Black people and people of color not only in infection and death rates, but also in terms of financial stability and shelter. We’ve seen how the pandemic has exacerbated harm caused by racist systems across the board. As a result, half of Black tenant households in New York City have fallen behind on their rent as of late May and early June 2020. Evictions primarily target Latinx and Black tenants. Additionally, homelessness is shown to have a direct correlation to the spread of COVID-19. As of Sunday, 1,293 people experiencing homelessness have contracted COVID-19 and 100 have died, according to the Department of Homeless Services.
As white folks who have benefited from the history of racist housing, lending, and real estate policies in this city, our fight for racial justice must include work for housing justice.
And there’s a lot happening right now.
Some good news: the New York state universal eviction moratorium has been extended until August 6th. That's an important partial victory! There will be no evictions, for anyone, for any reason, across New York state until August 6th. While this is certainly a win, we cannot stop fighting. Despite the extension, the courts are allowing landlords to file new eviction cases — meaning that the courts will be flooded when the moratorium expires. Additionally, existing cases from pre-pandemic suits are resuming due to the courts' reopening on July 7th.
Despite the extension of the eviction moratorium, landlords are trying to evict tenants outside of the legal process. Last Tuesday, Equality for Flatbush put out an urgent call to head to 1214 Dean Street in Crown Heights to block an illegal lock-out of tenants by the landlord. Approximately 100 tenants, neighbors, and supporting activists converged at the building to support this action, chanting, “No landlords, no cops, all evictions have to stop.” Ultimately, the landlord vacated and tenants were able to return home.
However, we know there are likely to be more evictions coming this summer unless legislators take action to cancel rent.
Coalitions across the state, including our friends at Housing Justice for All (HJFA), have been organizing around the #CancelRent campaign, calling for Governor Cuomo and legislators in Albany to forgive all rent, mortgage, and utility payments accrued during COVID-19. We now have a bill, introduced by Manhattan Assembly member Yu-Line Niou and Brooklyn State Senator Julia Salazar: the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act of 2020!
The fight to pass this bill and cancel rent is going to need all of us. So here are two ways you can take action to #CancelRent today:
Join us for SURJ NYC’s monthly Housing Justice meeting tonight!
Call Governor Cuomo to demand that he #CancelRent! Click here for a call script and more information.
And, as always, see below for more ways to plug in and show up.
In solidarity,
SURJ NYC